Curse of the Silver Luxray
by What Lies Beyond
Summary: I was the only one to see the small sign with its strange message by the side of the road. Now, just before my friends and I were about to start a tour of an old mansion, I'm trapped in the body of a Luxray. Worse yet, I can't tell Cameron or the others who I am! How did this happen, and can I change back? (On Hiatus for now)
1. Chapter 1: Poets and Prophecies

**I have added this message lately, here and on my other fic, because I do not know if anyone here also reads S&S. There is an important issue that has cropped up recently; I have more information on my profile. ****Please read it****. The issue impacts all of us. **

_**Welcome to Curse of the Silver Luxray, my second fanfic! Timeline-wise, this would fall after the current chapters in Shifters and Shadows, but still during this latest Shadow Incident.**_

_**Again, please watch your step. Duskrunner's around here somewhere and he doesn't like being tripped over (See Shifters and Shadows, chapter 13 if you have no clue who I'm talking about). **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon**_

Chapter 1: Poets and Prophecies

The tour bus hit another pothole in the road, and I scowled as my pencil inscribed a jagged line across my drawing. I shifted my sketchbook on my lap and began erasing the mistake, trying to avoid some of the more delicate lines. It was a picture of Anakin and Thunder curled up together, sleeping cheek-to-cheek. I was glad they'd finally gotten over their differences, because Thunder's presence had been beneficial to Anakin's health, and now that Star had been Purified, he was doing very well. It had been a couple months now since he'd hatched, and I was wondering how long it would be before he Evolved, seeing how fast he was gaining strength. His health was steady now too, so I no longer had to worry about him suddenly getting sick.

Another pothole sent the eraser skidding off the page, taking off part of Anakin's paws and Thunder's cheek. I gave up trying to fix the errors, and flipped through some of my older sketches for a bit before returning to the page I had been working on. Perhaps later I could fix it.

A few seats ahead of me, Jake was dozing with his head against the window. As we hit a third major pothole his head banged against the glass, causing him to come awake with a yelp. After looking around wildly at the scenery he relaxed, realizing we had yet a ways to go before we reached our destination. I saw him close his eyes and begin nodding off, so it was only a matter of time before he hit his head again. The other passengers didn't react; this was the third or fourth time this had happened.

Emma was listening to music, and David was reading. They sat next to each other, ignoring the other completely. In a way that was a good thing; they had gotten in a major argument the day before and were still not quite over it yet. If the bus hadn't had so many people on it they would've probably picked different seats, but the bus was almost full. Albeit it was a small one, but still.

Cameron was in the seat in front of mine, idly staring out the window. I wasn't sure if he was paying attention to anything outside, daydreaming, or doing some form of meditation. There really wasn't much to see at the moment, though, so I guessed that he was either zoned out or meditating. Then he caught me staring, and I felt my face flush. _I guess he was meditating and not zoning out. Oops._

I turned my gaze to the window, watching the road and its accompanying signs go by. We had decided to go on a tour of a mansion apparently built a hundred years ago by an eccentric man who had dedicated entire wings to all the different types of Pokémon who lived in the surrounding woods. In other words, there were eighteen additional wings and the main part of the building, and over a hundred rooms to explore. It was odd that so few people knew about it, and rumor had it that there was some sort of curse on the building, but I thought that was just a publicity stunt. I mean, sure, my friends and I had seen some strange things during our travels, but a cursed mansion? Come on.

_It's a pity Michael couldn't come. I wonder if he's back yet? _ He'd left for the Orre region several weeks ago, planning to spend a few days at home with his family and all the Pokémon he'd caught. It was also his sister's birthday, so he had taken an Egg with him to give to her. He'd told us he'd be back soon, and indeed, he should have been back already. I was beginning to wonder if he was alright; we'd tried calling the lab only to get the answering machine, and telepathy didn't work over such long distances. Heck, even Cameron's email hadn't gotten through….

_Michael's probably just busy. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to go out and round up some more Shadows—they seem to be coming out of the woodwork like crazy lately. I wonder if we're close to finding Cipher's new hideout…. Huh!? What was that?_

For a second there, I thought I had seen a sign by the side of the road, next to the mile marker. A small, nearly invisible sign made of gnarled beech wood. As the bus turned onto a small dirt road, I flipped the page in my sketchbook and wrote down the words that had seared onto the backs of my eyelids as we passed it:

_Believe in the Phoenix_

_ Trust not the Barthellou_

_ Your Spirit knows the Truth_

_ The Key holds the Answers_

Odd….Barthellou was the name of the man who had built the mansion….but the brochure said he had died without an heir. So what did it mean? The Phoenix was another name for Ho-Oh. And what was this bit about spirits and truth, answers and keys?

"Hey, Cameron," I asked, "Did you see that sign by the mile marker?"

"What sign?" Cameron replied, confused. He turned around to look at me.

"There was a small sign next to the mile marker, made of old beech wood." I replied. "You didn't see it?"

"Kitt, I didn't see any sign. Are you sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you?"

I showed him the message I had copied down, belatedly realizing it was on the back of the sketch of Anakin and Thunder. Oops.

"Odd….Hang on a sec. I'll ask the lady ahead of me if she saw it." He turned back around and tapped the woman in the seat ahead of him on the shoulder. I fingered my pendant, the shard of a Light Ball smooth and cool. I'd had this necklace as long as I could remember and rarely took it off, but was it my imagination, or did the glass now glow slightly?

Cameron turned back to me, frowning. "Neither she nor her husband saw the sign, and neither did their teenage son. Heck, even the girl ahead of _them_ didn't see it. I don't know what you saw. Keep a lookout for anything weird. I've got a bad feeling about this…."

He wasn't the only one. I _knew_ I had seen a sign—heck, I had the message to prove I didn't make it up. So how come I was the only one who seemed to have seen it?

The bus began slowing down, and I realized we must have reached our destination. I snapped out of my thoughts to take a look around, and what a sight awaited me!

The mansion was surrounded by woodlands, the trees old and crooked, and sunlight filtered weakly through the branches. Although it was only noon, it seemed as if dusk was falling. I wondered if the woods had grown wilder as time passed. The courtyard was overgrown as well, except for a small garden, which I thought odd, until I saw a flicker of movement here and there, and saw the Flabébé and Floette attending to the garden, along with a lone Florges. I guessed the Fairy types with their love of gardening would have done their best to keep their home maintained, but with so few of them here, they would have had to let some of it go. A rustle in the grass told me that other Pokémon had made this their home too, so perhaps the unrestricted growth was intentional.

However, the most impressive sight was the mansion itself. From where the bus currently was, the only part of the mansion that was visible was the front entrance and two of the wings. And yet….

The front of the building was flanked by massive pillars supporting a roof over the path, each pillar glittering in the dim light. Veins of differently colored stone ran up the pillars, and it was hard to see what kind of stone lay underneath. The doorway was large and imposing, and though it was too far away to see the knocker on the door, I imagined it would have to be just as impressive.

And the wings themselves…. One was styled just like a greenhouse, every room visible from behind glass windows that stretched to the ceiling. Tropical plants and flowers filled one room, northern pines in another, and a third had vines curling around the window of a jungle-like scene. The other wing wasn't as open, but I could see the odd flash of violet energy in the windows. Sometimes a blue or yellow bolt would flash as well, so I wasn't sure what Type that wing might be dedicated to. The first was obviously Grass; if I had to guess, I'd say that this one was Psychic, Ghost, or Electric.

With a shuddering groan and a jolt, the bus came to a halt. All was still for a moment, and then the doors opened with a creak. Everyone immediately stood to get off the bus, except for Jake, who was sound asleep. David shook him awake as he passed, and Jake hurriedly grabbed his stuff and managed to join the line. I was about to return my sketchbook to my backpack when it was knocked out of my hand, sliding under the seat while my pencil clattered into the aisle. I reached down and grabbed it, narrowly avoiding getting my hand stepped on, and was about to go after my sketchbook when I felt something wrap around my ankle.

_Hey! You coming?_ Emma called, and I realized that everyone else was outside. Most of the other passengers had already gone ahead to wait for the tour to begin, and only my friends were still waiting. I was the only one left on the bus.

_One second! I gotta grab my sketchbook, it slid under the seat! _ Actually, I had to deal with the thing around my ankle, too, but that was another matter. I reached down and touched it. It was soft and pliant, and smooth to the touch. It was cool, and I felt numerous small suckers on the underside. It seemed to be some sort of tentacle. I glanced down at my ankle and saw that it was pale, with a diamond-shaped tip. I was aware of only one species like that: Inkay. However, it was common knowledge that Inkay had the ability to hypnotize people, and since it seemed to be hiding under my seat, I'd have to be careful. I didn't want to get hypnotized and do something stupid, and I wasn't sure if this Inkay would be willing to listen to the words of a Shifter.

I reached into my backpack, fingers brushing various objects inside. Pokéballs, art supplies, another sketchbook, this one full…_Aha! I thought it'd migrate to the bottom. _I pulled out a small container. Opening it slowly, I reached in and pulled out two Berries, a Chesto and a Persim. The effects of berries typically didn't affect humans, but as a Shifter, I'd knew that I'd receive the benefits. Chesto Berries prevented one from falling asleep, while Persim Berries prevented confusion. I wasn't sure which category hypnosis fell under, so I took a bite of each, letting the juices run down my throat before swallowing. To be on the safe side, I ate all but a small piece of each berry, holding them in my mouth under my tongue. Taking a deep breath, I looked under the seat.

I saw the Inkay hanging upside-down from the seat before a bright flash blinded me. When it cleared, the Inkay looked startled for a moment before releasing my ankle and scooting away. _I guess that meant its attempt at hypnotizing me failed. _I swallowed the remaining Berry pieces, then grabbed my sketchbook from where it had ended up, directly under the spot the Inkay had hung from. _Though why an Inkay would try to hypnotize me is beyond me. And what's one doing here anyway…?_

I tossed the berry container back into my backpack before carefully sliding my sketchbook in as well, making sure the pencil was tucked in the spiral bindings. Shrugging it onto my shoulder, I hurried up the aisle to the doors, not wanting to hold everyone up much longer. That's when it happened.

As I placed my foot on the first step, something tripped me, and I tumbled head over heels off the bus. The back of my head struck something on the way down, and as I landed on the ground I was only dimly aware of the pain before my vision went black.


	2. Chapter 2: New Body, New Problems

_**Oh jeez, sorry…I didn't mean to leave you hanging, here or on S&S (Shifters & Shadows). I'm not dead, I swear! Just been busy, and felt more like just reading other fics on this site than actually writing…**_

_***ducks flying objects* **_

_**Eeesh….Well, I've got two chapters for this, I'm working on the next one for S&S (trying to work out a plot bug here), and I started yet ANOTHER fic, which probably wasn't a good idea, but we'll see how it goes. It might be up soon.**_

Chapter 2: New Body, New Problems

_Ouch, my head…..What….Oh yeah, I tripped._

My head was throbbing as I regained consciousness. Some instinct told me that I wasn't human anymore, so I must've Shifted involuntarily while I was unconscious. It was lucky I was the last one off the bus—who knows what would've happened if I'd been seen? It didn't seem to have been that long since I was knocked out, either, or Emma and the others would be looking for me. Still, something seemed…off.

I tried to Shift back, but for some reason was unable to. _That's weird. I should have turned back to human form. Guess I'm still too dizzy or something. Well, I guess we'll have to figure out a way to cover for my disappearance, and the appearance of a silver Pikachu, at least until I can Shift back. Speaking of which, I should get going, otherwise everyone'll get concerned._ I opened my eyes.

And screamed, because the paws in front of me weren't mine.

_What the hell!? This can't be happening! There's just NO. FREAKING. WAY!_

Instead of my familiar silver hand-paws with their four fingers and a thumb, I had two three-toed paws covered in bluish-black fur. Curved claws shot out as my muscles clenched involuntarily. I rotated my wrist, and the paw flipped over to expose a greenish-gold band on my forearm; below and above it my arm was coated in shorter silver fur. The black fur that coated my paws bushed out in small tufts on my wrist, concealing the exact location where it ended and the silver fur began. Craning my head, I could see two more of the green-gold bands—one around my elbow, and one just below my shoulder. Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I looked back to see a thin black tail with a star-shaped tip twitching gently. The tip was the same color as the bands around my forelegs.

_Luxray. I've turned into a freaking LUXRAY! I've gotta still be out cold. I'm dreaming. That's the only explanation! _

Having no fingers to pinch myself awake with, I bit down on what had been my right arm. Hard. The pain hit immediately, and I realized that I was very much awake. Then I realized that I could taste blood. I pulled my forelimb out of my mouth, wincing when I saw how badly I'd bitten myself. Blood oozed from four deep punctures, and several smaller marks had tiny crimson beads forming over them as well. _Great. I've turned into a Luxray, I can't change back, I've got a headache, and I may have just maimed myself. Just great. Hopefully it can't get any worse._

It began to drizzle. Sparks jumped off of my fur until I figured out how to stop it. _Me and my big mouth. At least I'm still an Electric type, but unless I get inside soon, I'll lose control of my electricity. I'm not used to this body and a Luxray's got a lot more power than a Pikachu—and the weather's gonna get worse. I've got to find the others._

I rose shakily to my feet. As a Pikachu, I'd been able to walk on two or four legs as I pleased, but a Luxray's center of balance was a lot different, and I was having a bit of trouble adjusting. It didn't help that I was a lot larger in this form than I had been as a Pikachu. I took a couple of steps forward before losing my balance, driving my muzzle into the pavement. _Owww…. _

I rubbed my nose, eyes watering. I hadn't realized a Luxray's nose was so pain-sensitive, but it made sense. A lot of doglike Pokémon were the same way, because their noses had to be so sensitive to scents that were too faint to pick up otherwise. I guess many catlike Pokémon shared common traits with them, being hunters.

I got up again, a little steadier this time because I knew what to expect. Still, I wished I had Star here to give me some pointers…..

A splash of color caught my eye, and I limped over to it, still wobbling a little. My backpack! I must've lost it when I fell. Thankfully it was still zipped shut, so nothing had fallen out. Still, I couldn't carry it, so what was I supposed to do with it? I couldn't leave my stuff here…..

I grabbed one of the straps with my teeth, despite the odd taste. I couldn't quite lift it off the ground, considering how awkward it was to carry, so I settled for half-dragging it as I headed towards the path. I hadn't gotten too far when I heard Jake and David's voices.

"Are you sure Kitt's over here?"

"Well, she should've gotten off the bus by now. All she was doing was retrieving her sketchbook."

"I know, but that cry…..that wasn't human."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm worried. It wasn't a Pikachu's cry either, and it came from around here…Hey, Look!"

I dropped my backpack and sat down, tired from dragging it in an unfamiliar form. Jake came running up, followed by David, who yelled, "Over here! We found something!"

"Star, what are you…wait. You're not Star," Jake said, as he came to a halt a few steps away. _Guys, we've found an unfamiliar Luxray, and she's got Kitt's backpack._

_ What? What do you mean? _Emma asked as she and Cameron emerged from the gloom. "Oh…."

"I've never seen one this color." Cameron mused. "Sorta reminds me of Kitt's Pokémon form, what with that silver fur."

"And look at the bands and her tailtip; heck even the insides of her ears," David added. "I've never seen this sort of greenish-gold color on a Luxray before. Look—even her eyes are different. Yellow-green. What a strange Pokémon."

_Um, guys?_ I thought. _Hello? Cameron? Emma? David? Jake? Anybody!? Hellooo? It's me, Kitt! ….Why can't they hear me?_

I couldn't get through. I could still hear our telepathic conversations, but I couldn't respond. Based on what David had said, I sounded like a Luxray when I spoke, too, and for the most part, a Shifter couldn't understand Pokémon speech unless in Pokémon form, though the meaning was much clearer than to an ordinary human. Or in Jake's case, when partially Shifted.

"I think she's trying to say something," Emma said, glancing at me. "Jake, why don't you…."

"On it!" He replied, Shifting to a hybrid form. He crouched down, using his tail to balance himself. "What is it?"

_"Jake…..it's me! Kitt! Somehow I've been transformed…"_ I broke off. Jake was frowning, rubbing the inside of his ear with one clawed fingertip. "Hmm…."

He Shifted fully, and I repeated my message. But he still didn't seem to understand.

_Emma, let Aaron out. Maybe he'll be able to understand what this Luxray's trying to say._ He changed back to human form, still puzzled.

"_What!? Jake, I'm speaking English! Hello? WHY CAN"T YOU UNDERSTAND ME!?"_

"Easy! Hang on a second!" Cameron yelped, and I realized that to him, it must've sounded like I was getting ready to attack or something. Emma was holding a Pokéball, watching.

"Aaron! Come on out, we need your help!" She called, tossing the Pokéball into the air. Aaron appeared in a flash, looking a bit annoyed at being summoned during a drizzle. He didn't really like getting wet.

"Aaron, could you talk to this Luxray and see what she wants? Jake tried, but he wasn't able to understand her. Perhaps you could, as a full Pokémon?"

Aaron nodded, then turned to me _"What message do you bring to my Master and her companions?" _He asked. I found his formal way of speaking a bit odd, but he'd always talked like that, even as a Riolu. At least he didn't take it as extreme as the Honedge evolutionary line. They spoke in Old English, with all the _thee's _and _thou's _and whatnots. They were also rather easy to offend if you misunderstood them—which happened a lot.

"_Aaron, please! Tell Emma and the others it's me, Kitt! I don't know what happened; I hit my head and woke up like this! I've gotta find a way to turn back!"_

Aaron turned back to Emma and the others. _"This Pokémon speaks in a strange language," _he said, broadcasting his words telepathically as well, _"I do not understand what it is she is trying to say. Ren has the gift of tongues, perhaps she can be of assistance." _Aaron blushed slightly; he had a bit of a crush on Ren. _"I am sorry I was unable to help."_

"Thanks, Aaron. You did your best." Emma said, recalling him. She reached for my backpack, and I lowered my head, trying to indicate that I didn't mind her taking it. Emma unzipped it and reached in, accidentally knocking my sketchbook out as she grabbed Ren's Pokéball. I picked it up carefully, not wanting it to get wet. Cameron noticed and nudged Jake with his elbow, pointing out my strange action.

"Okay Ren, we need your…..Huh?" Emma said, gazing curiously at Ren's Pokéball. "It's not working. David, see if any of Kitt's other Pokémon can be let out. This is weird."

_You think? You're not the one transformed. _I thought. Then again, it wasn't much use trying to say that, since it seemed all anyone would hear is "Lux! Luxray! Ray!"

"None of the other Pokéballs are working, either. It's as if Kitt…as if she never existed. As if… she just vanished off of the face of the Earth…." David shivered. "First she vanishes, then this Luxray turns up, and then Kitt's Pokéballs stop working…this is just creepy."

_But I'm right here! David…. How can I _tell _anyone…Wait! I've still got my sketchbook in my teeth! If I can show them that poem, maybe they'll realize it's me!_

I dropped the sketchbook on the ground and flipped the cover open carefully with one claw. The pages were too delicate for me to turn that way, so I nosed at them until they turned over. I knew everyone was staring, but I ignored them, focusing on my task. One more page turn and…..

It was gone. The whole page was gone. I couldn't believe it. The sketch of Anakin and Thunder had been _right here_…

"Luxray, stop that…wait a second, where's Kitt's sketch of Anakin and Thunder? "

"What do you mean, Cameron?"

"Kitt was working on that sketch of Thunder and Anakin during the bus ride…. I don't understand how it could disappear right out of her sketchbook. Are there any loose pages in her backpack?"

"Not one." Jake replied, digging around in it for a moment. "Well…. What do we do now?"

_Maybe there's some other way to tell them,_ I thought. I tried scratching letters into the dirt, but it was too hard despite the drizzle. Emma closed up my sketchbook and returned it to my backpack, then shouldered it along with her own. "Maybe there'll be some sort of answer inside. Come on…..um…."

I stood and padded over to Emma, looking up into her face. _Aren't we going inside?_

"Why'd you stop?" Jake asked. Beads of water were dripping from his hair. Rainwater must've been running into his ears as well, because they elongated into Volteon ears and twitched, flicking it off the tips. Jake held them at an angle, so that the rain didn't drip inside. For once Emma didn't seem mad at him for exposing his Pokémon side.

"We can't keep calling this Luxray 'Luxray'. She seems almost human, more so than the other Pokémon. I wonder what her name is." Emma glanced down at me. "I've got an idea. Prick up your ears when we call out your name, okay?" She began listing off a number of names, some typically given to humans, some given to Pokémon. Jake soon joined in, then Cameron and David. After about fifty names or so, David stopped.

"Look, why don't we continue this later?" He asked. "The rain's getting heavier, we're all getting soaked, and we're getting nowhere. This'd be easier if Kitt were here, but she's missing and we've got to find…wait a second! Look! Look at Luxray's ears!"

Everyone stared. What? I_ had_ pricked up my ears at hearing my name, but what was the big…..oh yeah, I forgot. They didn't know it was me.

"You don't think….." Emma began, going pale. "That's…That's not possible…"

_Finally! Someone—_

A bolt of energy come out of nowhere and struck me, racing across my body. My vision went dark and I cried out in pain before everything vanished.


	3. Chapter 3: A Thickening of the Plot

_**Well, that escalated quickly…..Anyways, I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up about this chapter: It's obviously hard to tell a first-person POV story if the main character gets knocked out, especially with important events coming up. Therefore, this chapter—and the next—will be in third-person POV. I'm also trying to incorporate page breaks, for minor scene jumps. Feel free to tell me how I'm doing.**_

Chapter 3: A Thickening of the Plot

Emma stared in shock as the strange silver-furred Luxray collapsed, crying out in pain before losing consciousness. "No!" She yelled, running towards her. "No! Wake up! Ki—Mppff!"

A hand clamped itself across her mouth, a second grabbing her arm to stop her in her tracks. Emma turned her head to see Jake and David restraining her, Jake's hand keeping her from speaking. His ear brushed against her face, the fur damp and cold. Emma pulled free of her two friends and was about to demand an explanation when Cameron's voice cut through her thoughts.

_Emma, turn around. Slowly. Don't. Say. Anything._

She obeyed, and gasped. A man had appeared out of nowhere, and was approaching the fallen Luxray. He was wearing worn jeans and a pale shirt, so Emma took him to be a gardener or something, though the mansion had supposedly been abandoned for years. Then again, wouldn't they need someone to tidy up the grounds if there was a running tour? Oddly enough, the man was also wearing an old cloak, and from what Emma could see, no shoes. His clothes and silver hair didn't even appear to be affected by the rain. He picked up the unconscious Pokémon and slung her carefully over his shoulder, then turned to face Emma and her friends.

"Come. We don't have much time. The storm is getting worse, and I'm sure you will want an explanation."

With that, the strange man began walking back towards the old building. He stopped once and looked back at the little group, who still had the Deerling-in-the-headlights look on their faces. "Come on," he called. There was a trace of irritation in his voice. "We don't have all day, especially not if you want to help your friend. Now hurry up, or I'll leave you out here as lightning rods." And he continued to walk, not bothering to look back.

The four teens glanced at each other, wondering uneasily what the man had meant. _Still, _Emma thought, _We have to follow. He knows something we don't, and we've got to protect that Luxray if it turns out he's some sort of Hunter. But…. I don't like this. Something's up. He didn't even blink at Jake's ears. And that Luxray… could it really be? Or is it a coincidence? Only one way to find out, I guess…._

"Let's go." Emma said, spinning on one heel and heading towards the mansion's front doors. Jake, Cameron, and David bounced another glance between them, then, shrugging, followed after her. The storm broke at that instant, and the four teens broke into a sprint to avoid becoming even more soaked than they already were. Under the awning, they stopped to catch their breath and wring water out of their hair and clothing, and it was then that Jake realized that he had forgotten to change his ears back, and worse yet, had been seen. He quickly Shifted them back to normal, hoping that the man hadn't gotten a good look. Then again….. _Well, it's too late now. We'll just have to deal with the consequences…_

0000000000

After nervously passing through the front door, the four Shifters found themselves at the end of a long hallway, which David guessed would eventually lead to a commons sf some sort. Halfway down the hall was a plain wooden door, light streaming out from underneath. Cameron snuck up to it, hoping to peek through the keyhole, but before he reached it the door swung open, revealing what appeared to be a small study. A burst of warm air rushed out of the room, and Emma could see a blazing fireplace within. The man from before didn't seem too surprised to see the four teens, though he frowned at the amount of water dripping from their clothes and onto the carpet. Jake just shrugged, and without a word, the man let them into the room.

The warmth from the fireplace was nice, Cameron supposed, but for some reason there was something about the room he didn't like. It didn't seem hostile—there were several bookcases filled with huge old volumes, and a desk near a window overlooking a small section of woodland—but his aura sense was picking up something strange. There was a cushion on the floor next to the fire; the silver-furred Luxray was lying on it, still out cold. After scanning the room, Cameron sat down next to her, still trying to pinpoint the source of his unease. Following hid example, Emma, Jake, and David took a seat as well, though David seemed interested in the books.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, the man glanced at the teens before crossing the floor and stopping by Cameron and the Luxray. He had something in his hands, and Cameron tensed up before realizing it was nothing more threatening than a Pokémon first-aid kit. He moved aside, and the man crouched at the Luxray's side, running his hands gently over her, checking for injuries. Cameron watched, berating himself for not realizing that the unusual Pokémon might be injured.

"Excuse me…but I was wondering," David began, "Are you a Pokémon Doctor? You seem to be as skilled as any of the Nurse Joys at the Pokémon Center…."

"No." The man replied. Parting the fur on the Luxray's right foreleg, he uncovered deep punctures, as if something had bitten it hard. Frowning—and without looking up from his task, he rummaged around in the first-aid kit until he found a small pair of scissors, a tube of antibacterial cream, and a roll of bandages. He took the scissors and began clipping the fur around the bite marks. "I was never a Pokémon doctor, but in my….travels, I've picked up some skills."

"Travels?"'

"I…come back every so often to check on things ….to make sure the Pokémon are alright."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Jake asked. "Don't tell me this place is cursed or something."

The man flinched. A deathly silence fell in the little room, and David could've sworn the temperature dropped by ten degrees. Almost instinctively, he looked around for the Gengar he was sure was lurking nearby.

"Aye, lad," the man said, suddenly sounding much, much older than he appeared to be. "There is a curse upon this place."

"But…..but how?! And why? And what k-kind of curse are we dealing with here?" Jake's voice became edged with panic.

The stranger paused for a moment, setting his scissors down. Then he spoke.

"The legends of this place, and its curse, are known only to me." Flickering firelight bathed half his face in light, while the other half was cast into shadow. Thunder rolled overhead, and the teens shivered, overcome by the eeriness of it all.

"It is a long tale, one of sorrow. But if you wish to know the truth…"

Cameron nodded. "If our friend has been caught up in this curse, we need to know what we're dealing with. I speak for us all. Please, tell us."

All was still save the crackling of the flames.

"Very well. Let us begin."


	4. Chapter 4: Would You Believe

_**I seem to be doing a lot of apologizing lately when it comes to updates. Huh. I wonder why…?**_

_**Rhetorical question. Please don't answer that.**_

_**I really am sorry this didn't get updated sooner, but once this chapter finally started to get rolling Word glitched and refused to save, so I ended up losing a good portion of the chapter and re-writing it from a single note on Notepad. And, I kid you not, the very next day I had a migraine, which kept me from doing more than re-typing what I lost. But this is up now, and hopefully I can get another chapter up soon, though I've still got S&S to juggle as well, so no guarantees.**_

_**Please leave a review at the end of this chapter. I'd really like to know if this looks like it might be heading towards a cliché. And as for that twist, well…where the heck did that come from?!**_

**Disclaimer: The chapter title is actually a song lyric, from **_**Skalds and Shadows**_** by Blind Guardian. I don't own it or the song. Oddly enough, the song title is also similar to the title of my other fic. Honestly, that's just a coincidence.**

Chapter 4: Would You Believe in a Tale like This?

"The first thing that you kids need to know is that here, nothing is as it seems," the silver-haired stranger began. Normally, David would have snickered ad the use of such a clichéd line, but something told him to keep his mouth shut and listen. The stranger picked up the scissors again, studied the Luxray's wounded foreleg for a moment, and clipped the fur a little shorter before being seemingly satisfied with his work. He set the scissors down and picked up a soft cloth, which he dampened with water from a small canteen and used to gently clean the Pokémon's wounds.

"There are places here where the dimensions twist ever-so-slightly, and because of this, the senses and the mind are often easily tricked. Therefore, you must trust your instincts here. Tell me; how old do you think this place is?"

"A hundred-fifty years?" Emma hazarded a guess. Jake just shook his head, but Cameron took a moment, examining the room a bit more closely.

"The brochures we read said this mansion was a hundred years old. But…though it looks like it could be a century or two old, my aura-sense tells me it's a lot older. Three hundred years?"

"Not quite. The truth is, even Aura Guardians have been fooled by the resident of this building. This place is well over six hundred years old, but has only existed in this spot for the last century, when it was discovered by a travelling Trainer, who sheltered here from a storm."

David abruptly went as white as a sheet.

"W-wait," he sputtered, "Y-you're tellin' us that this place…that _this_ mansion….is like those houses that're there one day and people go through em' and everything, and then days or mere seconds after they leave, it's _gone?!_ That we're basically sitting in a single-building _Brigadoon?! _Oh, merciful _Arceus_…..!_"_

"I take it you've heard the legends of such places?"

"_LEGEND?! _Brigadoon's no _legend_! I nearly got _trapped_ there! And to top it all off, I only escaped it to fall victim to one of those vanishing houses! If it hadn't been for Luna, I have no idea what would've happened to me, and as it is…_I'm supposed to be fifteen years older than Emma!_"

Silence. Every eye in the room turned to face David, and at least one jaw was hanging open. David looked around the room. "…Shit." He mumbled. "I didn't mean to say that…"

"Well, that explains a lot," Emma said, and as David turned to look at her she grinned. "I bet that's why you seemed a little hesitant when it came to working stuff like the higher-tech phones and fridges and whatnots when we first met, and standoffish when asked if you needed help. And why you keep blowing up microwaves."

"Yeah, well…" He fiddled with his glasses, "I was kinda like someone stepping into LaRousse City for the first time. Everything's familiar, but different. I found that out the hard way when I went back to Hearthome…much of it had changed. Would you believe that the Hearthome Gym Leader originally specialized in Dark Types? On the other hand, I'm actually not sure if my uncle's still on the lam or if something has happened to him, or what happened to my family…not that I'd recognize them. My baby sister's older than I am now…which really makes my head hurt when I try to think about it."

The stranger was watching David carefully. "And if," he asked softly, "you were given a chance to go back to that moment before you made the choice to enter that house, and were able to keep the memories you have from beyond that point, and were faced with that choice again, would you choose to stay in your own time? Or would you enter that building again?"

"I would make the same choice I did then." David replied without hesitation. "True, after the close call I had with Brigadoon, I should've trusted my instincts and my Absol's instincts and steered clear of that house, but in the years since then I've had an awesome time here. Even If there were some unpleasant surprises and tough times, I've got awesome friends and have met even more amazing people and Pokémon than I might have if I had stayed in my own time. Plus, the advances in science…! I'll admit, though, it's still kinda weird sometimes to realize that at this point I should have a career and maybe be getting married, and that everyone I knew has aged a lot while I haven't, and that for all I know I was babysat by Emma's mom when I was little so she could pay for college…." He pulled a face. "Okay…that's just really, _really _weird."

"You said it." Emma muttered under her breath.

"My point is, there's no way I'd trade my present for a different one. Besides, if I did, a lot of stuff that has happened wouldn't have. Emma and…well you know.." He omitted a certain name, hoping to avoid whatever taboo that had been violated last time it had sort-of come up. "Wouldn't have met Cameron and Jake if it hadn't been for me and my unfamiliarity with technology, and we wouldn't have even able to bust them out of the lab where they were prisoners. And then Jake….um….well, wouldn't exactly be here…sorry, Jake…"

"It's fine," the GE Shifter replied, though he looked slightly ill. "We've already had this conversation …"

"Anyway….so, yeah. No matter what, I wouldn't go back. Sure, I had friends in my own time, but they've long since grown up and moved on, and probably think I've disappeared forever. It bugs me a bit, but in the end, I'm okay with it—the friends I have here are the kind that only come once in a lifetime, a second family to me, and I wouldn't trade that for _anything_."

"I see." The man turned back to the injured Luxray, who was still out cold. He applied the antibacterial cream to her foreleg and began bandaging it with a quick, efficient rhythm. Within a few seconds he had tied off the bandage and was putting everything back in the first-aid kit. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was young. Always quick to see the good in event he worst situation. You have regrets, but have learned to move on. There are so few people in the world like that, and so many who would go back in time to change their mistakes, despite the impact it would have on the lives of others today, and would do it purely for selfish reasons, especially those of younger generations, who have not the foresight to look beyond themselves. The legend of this mansion begins with one such person."

"Really?" Jake asked.

"Yes. But it also starts many, many years before as well. No doubt you have heard the legends of the King of the Kalos Region?"

"We have." Cameron nodded. "The legends of the king and his Pokémon and of the machine he built to end the Kalos War three thousand years ago.

"What historians don't know is that the legend is true, and that the king and his Pokémon were not the only ones affected by the light of that terrible weapon. Two others were touched: A Vulpix foraging in the nearby brush, and a creature whose very identity was unknown. The Vulpix was touched by the healing light that revived the king's lost Pokémon…but the unknown creature was touched by the power that caused the greatest cataclysm Kalos had ever known.

Now, the effect of the light was not immediately known. The Vulpix and the unknown creature continued to live their lives, growing and evolving. It was not until the Vulpix had evolved, and the Ninetales had lived for several hundred years did it become apparent that something was different. The Ninetales did not age as others did; her life extended thousands of years longer than the time allotted to her species. And others, sensing this, avoided her. Thus, in her long life, the young Pokémon grew lonely, for all she wished was to have a mate and child of her own.

The centuries stretched into millennia. Time passed the Ninetales by, and new generations were born and died. Eventually, she found herself in the company of a young man on a journey.

The two travelled together for a long time. Eventually, the young man too began to yearn for a family of his own, but was spurned time and time again. The Ninetales knew the young man well, and was saddened that no one seemed to see the heart of gold the young man possessed. The young man had also noticed that his companion was in the same situation, and mourned the fact that she too seemed destined to be alone. But he was also glad, for she seemed to understand him completely, not knowing that she saw him in the same light. And he told her such, saying he almost wished she was human.

Jirachi must have smiled on them that day. The Ninetales remembered an ancient spell and, one night, slipped away from her companion and whispered the spell under the harvest moon, transforming into a young woman in a pale gold dress and with soft ruby eyes.

The young man, searching for the Ninetales, came across the young woman. Though he had never seen her before, he felt that he had known her for a long time, and despite the fact that she could not speak, they fell deeply in love and were wed. And, in time, they had a daughter.

The child was the joy of her parents' lives. She took delight in the world around her, and the young man and his wife found joy in her happiness. Every night, the young woman would sing her daughter to sleep with a soft, wordless melody, and then she and her husband would stand watch over her, reveling in the happiness the small life brought them.

Five years passed. And the blissful life of the small family abruptly came to an end.

The transformation spell was old, ancient enough that no one alive had any knowledge of it. Except for a few: the Legends that roam this Earth, and the four who walked outside of time. So it was no trouble for one such entity to begin to unravel the threads of that spell.

The young woman soon became aware of the weakening of the spell. Knowing she had little time, she began composing a letter one night after putting her daughter to bed, hoping to explain the truth to her husband.

She never got the chance.

As she touched her pen to the paper, the spell was shattered, and the young woman once more found herself a Pokémon. Knowing she now had no way to explain herself, she fled, not realizing that she had left a single print behind…or that something would follow.

The young man was distraught to discover his wife's disappearance, and even more so when he found what appeared to be evidence that a Pokémon had attacked her. Greif-stricken, he continued to raise his daughter alone, and with a single rule: She was never to have contact with a Pokémon.

As the girl grew, she was aware of her father's sadness, and did everything she could to be a good daughter. Yet she also found herself drawn to the outside world, and would often sneak away at night to dance under the stars. One night, she became aware of eyes upon her as she danced, and as she turned to see who it was, they fled. The next night, she caught a glimpse of a shadow. And, eventually she was able to meet the watcher.

The Ninetales had lingered, watching her child blossom into a young woman, unwilling to leave her daughter behind and unable to communicate with her. Her daughter had been very small when she had disappeared and had only fuzzy memories of her mother. And yet the girl felt as if she somehow knew the Pokémon who watched as she danced, and it became a custom between the two for meet.

Though the girl had been warned against having anything to do with any of the wild Pokémon that lived nearby, she somehow knew the Ninetales would never hurt her. And so, one night, she reached out to touch the Pokémon's pale gold coat. It was just as her fingers brushed the soft fur that her father found her.

Naturally, the man feared for his daughter, believing her to be in grave danger. Not knowing of the true identity of the Pokémon his daughter was with, he pulled her away as fast as he could. Without knowing it, the girl's hand brushed one of her mother's tails, caught in the fur, and pulled it.

The penalty of pulling a Ninetales' tail is a thousand-year curse.

However, the Ninetales had lived for so long that she knew a way to prevent her daughter from becoming cursed, and redirected the power to be released harmlessly. Yet there was an unfortunate side effect: She temporarily resumed her human shape.

Her husband was devastated, to say the least, and felt betrayed by the knowledge that his wife, whom he presumed dead all these years, had instead been nearby as a Pokémon. And, he realized, that she was the same Pokémon who had been his companion all those years before. Heartbroken, his grief turned to rage, and he cursed all that had led him to this point. His wife, crushed by his reaction to the truth she had meant to tell him, could not bear to linger any longer and left him and her daughter behind as she left, wishing to be alone. Her daughter eventually followed, torn in two between her desire to stay and comfort her father, and her horror at his words.

Eventually, the man realized how foolish he had been, to say those words in his anger, and how much he had hurt his wife and daughter. Fervently, he wished they could return to him, so he could apologize to them, and they could start their life anew. Far away, the Ninetales felt his change of heart, and she and her daughter began to retrace their steps and return home, where the man was waiting for his family.

However, they did not know that something had taken the energy from the neutralized curse and redirected it, laying a geas on them that prevented them from ever returning. And as such, they were forced to wander, for the geas would not let them settle on one place. One night, mother and daughter were separated, and a second spell was cast, that would keep them apart forevermore.

Years passed. The man became desperate to see his family, unaware of the geas that bound him, as well. He prayed every night for his family's return, and begged to see them once again, willing to do anything, _anything _to see them safe and in his arms once more. And one night, he heard a voice.

The voice told him that his family had been cursed, and that the only way to lift it was to earn forgiveness for his harsh words. In order to do this, he had to build a fantastic mansion to be home to the Pokémon of the surrounding area, with a series of rooms catering specifically for each Type.

Believing the voice to be that of Arceus, the man devoted himself wholly to the task. It took him many years, but at last he had completed his task, and he awaited his wife and daughter's return.

He did not know that it was not Arceus, but the very entity who had set off the chain of events that had led him to build the mansion, and that took delight in the man's pain. It did not tell him that it had never intended for him to see his family again, nor that it had shadowed him as he built every room, laying its own spells and traps. It did not tell him that the whole time, he had been no more than a pawn to it; a puppet on a string. And it was not until years later, when the man realized that he had not aged a day since that fateful night; until the first disappearance, that he began to realize what he had done.

The shadowy entity—though some would undoubtedly call it a demon—enjoyed wreaking havoc on those unfortunates who strayed too close to its domain. Both people and Pokémon would arrive at the wondrous mansion, never to leave it. Some were thrillseekers, having heard rumors that the mansion was haunted by ghosts and strange, mutated creatures. Others were there to catch a glimpse of a rare Pokémon said to live nearby. Most were just unfortunates caught up in the curse.

The disappearances were few. Most who entered the mansion would leave with a tale of nothing more than an old and spectacular building and the Pokémon living there. However, there were always those that caught the demon's attention, that it would spin its web around as surely as an Ariados does its prey. No one knew what happened to them, though one speculation was that they slowly changed…and forgot their former lives. Another is that they were swallowed by the demon, fuel for its power. Or, simply, that they disappeared, as surely as if they had stepped foot in the heart of the Triangle, that strange place between Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh.

After realizing that he was the one who had led to the rise in the demon's power, the man did everything he could to try and prevent it from taking another victim. However, he was bound to the mansion as well, and could not do anything to prevent another from falling prey to the demon, though he tried. But over the course of five hundred years, it became apparent that fewer and fewer people and Pokémon were passing through, and seeing this, the man was elated, for it meant that the demon was thwarted in this regard.

But the demon had cooked up another scheme. Expending its power, it moved the mansion through time, to a new era where it believed prey would be more plentiful, and in doing so, it was greatly weakened. But this time, it took advantage of its remaining power, capturing many of those who found its domain, which also hid it from the eyes of the world, until the day came it fell into a deep slumber, and a Trainer stumbled into the mansion during a storm. Soon, word spread of the wondrous place, and historians swarmed the mansion, one of whom recalled a story told to her by a relative who claimed to have met someone who had known the man who built the mansion, a hundred years ago."

The room fell quiet, the teens having become lost in thought. The stranger, too, was silent for a moment, letting them absorb what he had told them, before voicing his final thoughts.

"And so, it seems, the legends go. I cannot confirm nor deny their level of truth, though I'll admit that in the time I have been caretaker here strange things have happened. I do not know if a demon truly lurks here, nor if it indeed slumbers still. There is no mention of what happened to the man in the tale, so his fate remains unknown. It is likely, though, that if the legends were true, he would still walk this land, as the King of Kalos still does. There is also no mention of any who may have been afflicted by the curse and were later freed of its spell, so if your friend has been affected, I cannot say whether or not there is anything you can do."

"We'll have to see, then, won't we?" Asked Jake, determination strong in his voice. The others looked at him in surprise, jarred from their musings. Jake met their gaze. "I mean, come on. Sure, this'll be like nothing we've ever faced, but we've gotta do _something_. 'Specially considering…" He turned to their host. "You said no one can leave. Are we under that rule now, too? Because even if we aren't, we're not leaving until we free our friend, and if we can free a few others, too, we'll do it. Just one question: How does the curse manifest? If you, for instance, say the afflicted person's name, would…"

Jake proceeded to explain what had happened, leaving Kitt's name unmentioned. The stranger thought it over for a moment, before replying, "I do not know exactly if that is what would occur. However, if that is the case, and that is what happened to leave this Luxray unconscious, it seems to me that for the time being, you need another name for this Pokémon. That may circumnavigate that aspect of the curse. Keep in mind, though, that it is also quite possible that the curse can manifest itself in many ways. I can't say that it's a guaranteed loophole, or that there aren't other variations of the curse that you may fall victim to as well. I can't even guarantee that there is even a way to break the curse, so unfortunately you'll be effectively flying blind, and on only the slightest hope that you can actually do anything."

"Well, as Jake said, we've got to do something." Emma retorted. "The five of us have been through too much to consider otherwise."

"We've got each other's backs." Cameron added. "It's been that way for five years, and it'll be that way until our Journeys end, and most likely even longer, perhaps even to the day we die. We share a connection that no others have, that no one else will _ever_ have. I don't care what the risks are, I don't care if I get cursed—Arceus knows I've been through worse—I don't care if I come close to _death._ She saved me, I'll save her. We all feel the same. I won't give up until the bitter end. None of us will, because that's what she'd expect us to do, and what we've always done. And nothing will ever change that."


	5. Chapter 5: Preparation

_**I know, I know. I'm gone for six months, and then post a short chapter. I'm sorry. This chapter was going to be longer; it really was. But it just didn't write that way. On the other hand, Happy First Year COTSL anniversary! Thanks for putting up with me :)**_

_**I'm going to be updating this hopefully more regularly, but to do that, there are a few things yet to set up elsewhere. Obviously, I can't tell you what, but when I get them set and we reach that point here…well, hopefully you'll know. So, yeah. That, plus life in general, will keep me busy for a bit. I'm not abandoning this, though! I fully intend to finish it. Just expect another hiatus, okay? Shifters and Shadows is reaching the beginning of the end. After that….well, somewhere there's going to be another part, and it may tie into this a bit too, but I think for that I can plan it here and tie it in later. I want to finish this before that.**_

_**And speaking of tie-ins….I want to thank The Trumpet's Call Sounds. We've been coordinating a few things that will eventually come into play here. You guys should all check out his work. It's pretty amazing.**_

5. Preparation

As Cameron's voice fell silent, the caretaker of the mansion nodded slightly, looking between each teen, reading the determination on their faces. Even though they knew now what they possibly faced, and the odds of their surviving this quest unscathed, they were still going to risk everything to save their friend. And, even more astounding, any other soul, human or Pokémon, that they could. He reached into a pocket, pulling out a key, and handed it to Emma, who gazed at it in bewilderment.

"What's this for?" she asked, turning it over between her fingers. It wasn't a large key, but cast in an antique style, and the brass had tarnished with age. It definitely _looked _like it could be six hundred years old…

"That key will open every door in this mansion." The caretaker said, as Emma passed it to Jake, who took a moment to examine it. "You will need it, if you hope to locate anything regarding your friend's situation. Every other key I once had has long since disappeared or no longer fits the lock it was meant for. Take good care of it."

"Hey…" Jake said, squinting at the key. He rubbed his finger along it again, as if to confirm his find. "There's something carved here. A Pokémon of some sort. It looks like…it looks like Ho-oh."

"Let me see." Said David, and Jake passed him the little key. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and took a long look at the engraving. "…Looks like it is. Huh. Wonder what that means…?"

He handed it to Cameron, who glanced at the engraving, then passed it back to Emma. She ran a fingertip over the Ho-oh, then resumed rummaging around in her backpack one-handedly. Retrieving a length of twine, Emma threaded the key onto it, before tying the ends together to create a necklace. She was about to loop it over her head when Cameron caught her wrist. "Let me take it."

Emma was about to ask why, when she saw the look in her friend's eyes. _He's picking up on something_, she thought. _He doesn't know what it is or why he needs to carry the key, but he knows that he has to._

It wasn't something to take lightly. Perhaps it was Cameron's unique situation as an Aura Guardian, but occasionally he would just _know_ something. And whatever it was, it was vitally important that he acted on that knowledge, even if it was just the faintest hunch. But this time…this time, it was something big, and he knew it. Emma handed him the key, and Cameron hung it around his neck, where it lightly tapped against his chest, gleaming softly in the firelight.

The silver Luxray stirred, signaling that she was beginning to awaken. The caretaker glanced back at her, then turned once again to the four teens. "There is one last thing you need to know." He said. "Two things, actually. First: Don't trust anyone."

"Anyone?" Jake asked. "Does that include eachother?"

The caretaker thought for a moment. "You may be able to trust one another. But anyone else you may run into here should be treated with suspicion. Do not take anything here for granted. Anything in this mansion—any person, any room, any object—could be tainted by the demon's aura."

"So there _is _a demon, then?" David asked, at the same time Emma said, "So by that reasoning, we shouldn't even trust you?"

The caretaker chuckled. "By that reasoning, no, I cannot be trusted. And," his voice became serious again, "Assume there is one. So much is left unexplained if one does not linger here."

David nodded, starting to lose himself in thought. Cameron asked, "Can we trust this Luxray, then?"

The caretaker nodded. "This one can be trusted, young Aura Guardian. She is a recent victim; therefore, the demon's hold will not be as strong on her. It is why you must hurry, though—the longer you linger, the larger the chance that you will be noticed, and the greater hold the demon will have over this Pokémon."

The Luxray shifted slightly, sleepily blinking her strangely-colored eyes. She turned her head until she could watch what was going on in the little room, her chin resting on the edge of the cushion.

"The second thing you need to know is this," the caretaker continued, and his eyes and voice hardened. "Whatever you do, _do_ _not_ shapeshift unless you absolutely have to."

He met the startled gazes of the teens, then turned his stare back to Jake. "You made a careless mistake when you revealed your nature, Shapeshifter. If I know what you are, then the demon will surely be able to figure it out as well. And since the other three aren't surprised by what you are, then they are either humans that you have entrusted you secret to, or others like you. But the latter is far more likely than the former."

Jake winced. _You can say 'I told you so' at any time, Emma…._

She sent a pulse of exasperation through the link, then asked, "Is there anything else we need to know?"

The caretaker shook his head. "Nothing of relevance. I'm sorry, but I have nothing more I can say." He stood, then walked over to the door and opened it. "The Luxray is awake now, so it is time for you to begin your search. Good luck."

The Shifters followed his lead and headed to the door, where they stopped to wait for the silver-furred Luxray, who tested her injured foreleg before following. With one last look back, they left the small study, Cameron taking a moment to thank the caretaker for his help.

"Do not thank me." The caretaker replied harshly. Cameron looked surprised, but nodded and shut the door softly behind him. The caretaker regarded the door for a little while longer, studying the faded etchings in the wood, reading them silently before turning away.

_If only there was something….that I could've done differently….all those years ago._

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Returning to consciousness had been strangely difficult. It had seemed as if I was climbing upwards from the bottom of a well towards a brilliant light, but with every half-dozen steps, the air seemed to thicken, as if something was trying to keep me back. After what seemed to have been hours, I found myself stepping through the light, then blinking awake, in what appeared to be a small study. I was lying on a thick cushion, my injured foreleg bandaged and stretched out in front of me. Twisting my head, I saw that everyone else was here, and there was a stranger, a silver-haired man in well-worn clothing who seemed to be warning my friends of something. I pricked my ears up to listen.

"Whatever you do, _do_ _not_ shapeshift unless you absolutely have to."

I jerked back in surprise; then realized that he must've seen Jake. The man focused his gaze back on my friend. "You made a careless mistake when you revealed your nature, Shapeshifter. If I know what you are, then the demon will surely be able to figure it out as well. And since the other three aren't surprised be what you are, then they are either humans that you have entrusted you secret to, or others like you. But the latter is far more likely than the former."

I saw Jake wince, and something passed between him and Emma, probably guilt and exasperation. Then Emma asked, "Is there anything else we need to know?"

The man shook his head. "Nothing of relevance. I'm sorry, but I have nothing more I can say." He stood, then walked over to a door and opened it, revealing a hallway beyond. "The Luxray is awake now, so it is time for you to begin your search. Good luck."

My friends stood and headed to the door, then paused, waiting for me. I pushed myself into a sitting position using only my left foreleg, then cautiously got to my feet, holding my injured limb off the ground. It didn't really hurt anymore, so I carefully lowered it to the floor, then leaned forward so it began taking my weight. I found that while I couldn't put my full weight on it, I would be able to walk on all four paws, abliet with a limp. I decided that if my leg began hurting badly, I could walk on three legs, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Reaching the doorway, I took one last look back before leaving the little room. The others did the same, Cameron stopping to thank the man; it seemed that he had been the one to bandage my wound, and to give them some sort of valuable information while I was unconscious. To my surprise, and Cameron's, the man did not take it well. "Do not thank me." He said in a harsh tone, and Cameron just nodded and shut the door. For some reason, it seemed to me that there had been emotional turmoil in the man's voice: that he had not meant to speak so roughly, and I wondered what had caused it.

"So where do we go from here?" David asked, as soon as the door had clicked back into place. "I mean, this place is huge, so where do we want to start?"

_Um, how about at the end of the hallway? _I thought, taking a moment to sit down. I wasn't really prone to sarcasm, but hey, it had been a really weird day.

"Well, first we've got to get to the commons area, which should be at the end of the hall." Emma replied, and I rolled my eyes. This no-communications thing was going to be a pain in the tail. "But we also have another thing here to deal with. We've got to give our friend here her alternate name." She rested one hand on my shoulder, before I shrugged it off. It just seemed…odd. 

Cameron closed his eyes for a moment, as if in thought, before opening them again. His pupils appeared slightly more slitted than usual, and his amber irises seemed to glow a little. I realized he was seeing Aura. He gazed thoughtfully at me, and it was then that I noticed the small key glittering around his neck. I wanted to ask about it, but he wouldn't have been able to understand me, and he had already turned around, blinking his eyes to restore his vision to normal.

"Whoever she is, her aura's been masked." Cameron said. "There's a shimmer around her, so I know it's still there, but I can't see it. Ghostlike, in a way."

"Interesting…" Emma murmured. It actually kinda was, considering auras weren't supposed to be able to be masked. "So why don't we call her that? Ghost, I mean."

"It certainly fits," David added. "With that silvery coloring in the gloom, and the weather, one could almost mistake her for a spirit. Plus, she sort of did show up outta the blue."

"So, then, Ghost it is?"

"I guess so." Jake said, nodding. "Luxray seems fine with it, and all things considering, it's not a bad name. Though we could've called her Nemo. That translates to 'No One', and might be better suited for breaking the curse, if you think about it."

_That's a guy's name, Jake_, I thought, just as Emma said, "Jake, that's a guy's name. We can't use that."

_Aaaarrrggghhhh! I just said that!_

Figuring I had nothing better to do while everyone repeated everything I would've said to them if I could still talk, I stood and began trotting down the hall. The others began to follow, probably catching on that now was the time for action, not words. But we didn't get too far. Three steps later, there was a sudden, startled yelp from David, and we all spun back around as his shaky voice asked, "Umm…there was a door here…right?"

…The door to the study was gone. Just… _Gone._


End file.
